Regional university leaders tell Oregon House committee state funding is needed to sustain access and workforce pipelines

PORTLAND, Ore. — Presidents and trustees from Oregon’s regional public universities told the House Committee on Higher Education Workforce Development on May 1 that state funding is essential to preserve access, support local economies and supply regional workforces.

"Each year, Oregon's regional universities welcome thousands of students from every corner of the state," said Kelly Ryan, president of Eastern Oregon University, during the informational hearing. "By design, we're smaller sized access institutions that support students from various backgrounds who want to pursue a university degree."

The testimony highlighted three recurring points: regional universities enroll high shares of first-generation, rural and Pell-eligible students; state funds and student aid operate as complementary pillars; and rising fixed costs such as retirement and health benefits are consuming large parts of universities' state allocations.

Why it matters: Regional universities said their campuses act as economic anchors in nonmetropolitan parts of Oregon, providing jobs, local cultural programming and…